Imported stayer Greatwood is set to follow a path towards the 2015 Sydney Cup after he returned to winning form in the 2015 Parramatta Cup at Rosehill Gardens this afternoon.
Greatwood returned to winning form with a tough staying performance in the 2015 Parramatta Cup at Rosehill Gardens this afternoon. Photo by: Steve Hart
Tommy Berry took up the running in the early stages of the Parramatta Cup and the Manduro gelding looked like a sitting duck at the top of the straight, but he fought back bravely after being headed by Burbero to record just his second race win in Australia after he took out the Listed Premier’s Cup (1800,) at Rosehill Gardens in the spring.
Trainer Gai Waterhouse was pleased with the performance of Greatwood in the Parramatta Cup, but she believes that the five-year-old will take plenty of benefit out of the run as he heads towards the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Royal Randwick on April 11.
“He is a serious racehorse,” Waterhouse said.
“We saw him in the spring and now he has come back in the autumn.
“I don’t even have him 100 percent yet and he can only improve on today.
“He is such a lovely gelding and how about when they came to him and he just found another level.
“He just picked up and picked up in the straight.
“You can beat old bone and muscle.
“I am setting him for the Sydney Cup.”
Tommy Berry missed the ride on Greatwood when he returned to racing in the Rewards Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on January 31 and was pleased to be back aboard the imported galloper in the Parramatta Cup.
Berry said that Greatwood nears to be able to roll in front to perform at his best and, like Waterhouse, the leading hoop believes that the Parramatta Cup winner is in for a big autumn campaign.
“Nothing against Brodie (Loy), but I don’t think he rode him 100 percent the other day, he tried to hold him up and he is not that sort of horse,” Berry said.
“Today he was ridden better out in front, rolling along and the best thing about him is that when all the tools come out he is the last one standing.
“He probably wasn’t mature about then (in the spring) and as you see over and over again Gai’s stayers from overseas improve every time.
“He is on the path to the Sydney Cup and he will run all day, so that is his go.”
Greatwood was trained by Luca Cumani during in the United Kingdom and he contested races like the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes (2414m) at Royal Ascot before being purchased by the Waterhouse team.
